


in naga-loka

by caesarions



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Ancient China, Creative License, First Meetings, Hinduism, Interspecies Relationship(s), M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Naga, Royalty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-27 19:23:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16225694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caesarions/pseuds/caesarions
Summary: As captain of the royal guard, Muunokhoi is quite used to fruitless quests at his emperor's behest. However, none before have set him up against the mythological.None before have involved matters of the heart.





	in naga-loka

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TakisAngel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TakisAngel/gifts).



> this is for the Secret Spectres fic exchange, as hosted by Hetalia Writers' Discord! my partner was TakisAngels on here and FlyingSassySaddles on Tumblr. out of the characters/ships she requested, I settled on India/Mongolia with some Asian extras. out of the prompts, I managed to combine 'bad hair day' and 'dragon AU.'
> 
> this AU takes place in a medieval-fantasy-fusion version of Asia. since i prefer to base my fantasy AUs off of their actual cultures, India is a nāga (with some creative liberties taken), rather than a Chinese or European dragon. but they're all parallels of each other anyway, and all snake people are equally as sexy. i'm not a furry though.
> 
> i hope everyone enjoys regardless, especially Sassy!
> 
> special thanks to mala (AO3 user junglefresh) for betaing and letting me borrow her male india oc! she helped a lot in the research process and deciding on their relationship!
> 
> NAMES:
> 
> china - min
> 
> india - ajay
> 
> the manchu - yendentei
> 
> mongolia - muunokhoi
> 
> tibet - tsering

For sending his scouts out after a missing hairpin, Muunokhoi felt like an utter fool. Any day now, the court could change his title from royal bodyguard to royal babysitter and be correct.

One could imagine Muunokhoi’s surprise when a scout returned with a fantastical tale. Loyal Yendentei reported that some peasant farmers had witnessed a nāga retreat into his river with the emperor’s favorite hairpin. They had no reason to lie, for the punishment was severe.

Emperor Min’s bad hair day decided the fate of the land. Since the nāga’s river made up their western border, Min’s messy topknot could also decide the fate of two empires.

After checking in with the court philosopher, Tsering had confirmed Muunokhoi’s worst fear. Nāgas were associated with two domains, water and the underworld. Though mainly guardians of treasure, sometimes, they collected more on their travels in human form. Stealing an unattended hairpin was not out of the question.

 _But nāgas were not evil and even helped out the protagonists of our neighbor’s mythology_ , Tsering quickly added. Muunokhoi chose to believe him.

The cold shock of the water on his toes brought Muunokhoi back to the present. His shivers worsened tenfold. _It would be easy_ , Min had shrugged, forgetting Muunokhoi’s people’s aversion to water. If only he could ride a horse into the nāga’s realm.

Thinking of the insolent emperor, Muunokhoi stomped deeper into the river. Tsering had instructed him that underwater caves in the nāga’s river lead to his slice of the underworld, Naga-loka. And if Tsering was incorrect… at least Muunokhoi would be relieved of his royal duties.

Muunokhoi only reached his stomach before he swallowed bile. Something about the water made that area sensitive. Squeezing his eyes tight enough to see white, squeezing his fists tight enough to carve crescent moons into his palms, Muunokhoi took a deep breath.

He dived.

  
“I have never seen someone struggle that much before,” a velvety voice encased Muunokhoi, as did the scent of cardamom.

Panic surged through Muunokhoi as his limbs refused to respond and his eyes to open. But, upon realizing he was not underwater anymore, his shoulders sagged gratefully. As long as a kind soul had rescued him.

The voice asked indignantly, “Can you even swim?”

Muunokhoi spit up the water that had been stuck in his mouth.

“Hey!” The presence left him, but Muunokhoi had not heard footsteps. “My hair!”

When the bodyguard finally opened his eyes, the shock of the water on his stomach had dissipated. A new fluttering sensation replaced it.

Since he had sought out the nāga, Muunokhoi did not know what he expected, but the cobra hood around the man’s neck still surprised him. Looking down, a tail that began at his waist was of the same coloring, earthy browns and blacks. To compensate for his boring scales—perhaps overcompensate—the deity decked himself out in gold jewelry. His hoop earrings jangled as he shook the water from his black curls.

Muunokhoi had forgotten to even inspect the other’s face. Shining strangely bright, a topaz nestled itself at the top of his cobra hood. His human eyes and skin were a rich brown, especially in the underworld’s darkness. But did he also have cool pupils, or a forked tongue, or—?

“I have never seen a human look at me like that, either.”

Muunokhoi forgot that he was the captain of the royal guard for a reason; his stare could not be missed.

Muunokhoi huffed. “The answer is no.”

Bangles chimed as the snake man folded his bronzed arms. “...No what?”

“No, I can’t swim.” To stand up, Muunokhoi pushed himself up off of the rainbow stone ground. If anything, the mountains of treasure around him seemed to grow taller as he rose. He could not see the peaks. Perhaps there were none, or perhaps the sheer amount of gold just blinded him.

Muunokhoi tossed his soaking wet braid over his shoulder. Since he had taken off his armor to swim, his thin underclothes revealed themselves. The traitorous fabric turned transparent and stuck to his body. At least the other was also shirtless.

...Well, what would a snake man wear, anyway?

What was his name?

And was he staring at Muunokhoi’s pectorals?

“Alright.” Both men cleared their throats awkwardly. “I am Ajay the nāga, of the border river. State your business in my domain, warrior.”

Simple business speech, Muunokhoi could handle. Instead of looking around dumbly at the endless landscape, he stood straight and challenging. “On my emperor’s behalf, I’m here to collect a missing valuable. Trusted sources say it lies with you.” That is, if Muunokhoi could even find it. Out of the corner of his eye, Ajay’s shining territory seemed to stretch for all eternity. If not, Muunokhoi could always run away.

Ajay rubbed at his chin. “Oh, my. A good man, you are. But what could it be?”

“A dragon hairpin.” The bodyguard sighed. “...It is a family heirloom.”

Muunokhoi’s position on his mission’s stupidity had softened after Tsering had revealed the object’s history. But of course, the fact that the hairpin was the only thing left of a father he never knew never would have come from Min’s lips.

Admitting he was too harsh on Min was a necessary evil. For a boy emperor, he was doing quite well. Better Muunokhoi see his puerile fits behind closed doors rather  
than the land and its many enemies.

“Then why did you not just say so?” The nāga clapped, almost in delight. “I have a strict policy of not taking any sentimental treasures for my own. I only assumed the opposite because it was lost in a field.”

Muunokhoi gnawed on his cheek. Perhaps Min was not doing so well after all.

“I remember the hairpin specifically because it was silver,” Ajay made conversation as he slithered around his piles. “An odd choice, if one has the money for gold, I believe. Perhaps your emperor looks best in that metal?”

Chuckling to himself, Muunokhoi jested, “Min looks best when he is quiet.”

“Oh,” Ajay exclaimed with wide eyes. He made the motion of sewing his mouth shut.

“No, I didn’t mean it like th—” Muunokhoi flushed sanguine.

“Ah ha!” An avalanche of gold coins tumbled down as Ajay removed a silver body. Somehow, they all missed his precious head. “Here you are. Again, my apologies to the Son of Heaven.”

“Just Min is fine,” Muunokhoi huffed as he took the hairpin, which dimmed considerably in his callused hands. He was no dragon or nāga, unlike the deity before him or the top of the pin. A silver dragon with jade eyes and scales wound around the base.

The two creatures were not so different after all. Perhaps all cultures came to the same conclusions in the end, just in their own special ways.

Ajay jangled and cleared his throat. Muunokhoi said, “I’ll take my leave now, thanks.”

As Muunokhoi walked away, the other man squeaked, “...So soon?”

Muunokhoi turned back.

“I only mean,” Ajay continued quickly, “that finding me takes some effort, and you did for so little gain.”

“That’s in the job description,” the bodyguard shrugged.

The nāga put his hand to his forehead and tried again. “Oh, I receive so few visitors these days. My freshly-brewed masala chai just goes to waste!”

Muunokhoi wanted to ask about the logistics of a snake hybrid drinking human tea. Something genuinely lonely in his voice had reverberated off of the gold and echoed into the vaulted ceiling. Out of compunction, he followed Ajay through the mountains of valuables to his living space.

An ancient waterfall had carved out part of a multicolored stone wall. Behind the doorway of dark liquid, there was enough space for one to live comfortably, perhaps even two. They remained in the first room only, which held Ajay’s kitchen and pantries.

A strangely apt host, Ajay hummed a tune from his people and swiftly poured two cups. They sat down across from each other on a mat, knees touching. Well… knees and tail.

“What do you think?” he asked, once he had let Muunokhoi take the first sip. “Is it to your liking?”

Muunokhoi squinted. “...What does it matter?”

“Well, if you disliked it, I would remake it.” After shrugging, Ajay chuckled softly. “Are you not used to such treatment?”

Picturing Min throwing a shoe at him again, Muunokhoi sipped. “Let’s not talk about it.”

Instead, the odd pair talked of other things, such as comparing their lives. Since the only light in the underworld came from the nāga’s jewel, the warrior had to stare into his eyes. Muunokhoi’s cheeks heated up, and the cause was not the hot air. In the intimate darkness, hours or days could have passed at the same time.

“By the way,” Muunokhoi mumbled eventually, “how do you know who discovers the caves by accident and who wants an audience?”

Ajay did not miss a beat. He leaned closer, in a wave of cardamom, and Muunokhoi did not lean away. “I can look into their hearts.”

“Doubt it. What does mine say?” Muunokhoi asked, humoring Ajay despite any better judgment.

“That you would love nothing more,” Ajay’s eyes twinkled invitingly, “than to become one of my many treasures here in Naga-Loka.”

The bodyguard’s empty cup clinked on the floor mat. He smiled. “Hm. We will need to work on that entranceway first.”


End file.
